Students attending Mtarfa primary school are to be relocated after experts deemed the building structurally unsafe.

The education ministry said the building had developed serious cracks in recent years mainly due to the natural movement of the land on which it is built.

It said that the students will be transferred to the Msida Hub as of February 22.

The decision was taken following degradation in the structure of the building, with experts saying the degradation was due to continue.

Parents were informed about the move in a meeting on Thursday. They were told that the decision was made to protect the safety of the students and staff.

The ministry said the students will not miss any days of school because the planned transfer from one school to another is taking place at a time when they are on holiday.

While the last day of school in Mtarfa will be on Wednesday, February 15, students will start at the new location in Msida on Wednesday, February 22.

The Mtarfa primary school has been deemed unsafe for students and workers. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

The ministry said work on the Msida Hub, which previously hosted students for alternative programs, had started immediately.

The building which is currently used as a primary school in Mtarfa, attended by kindergarten to Year 6 students, was built in 1893 to serve as the Officers' Mess by the British. 92 students receive their education there.

Over the past months, parts of the façade was being propped up by concrete blocks. The building is a Grade 1 listed structure.